The Difference 5 Weeks Makes

I know it has been awhile since I have updated my blog and I do plan on updating it soon. I did want to post this picture. This is Zintle, the little girl pictured below. In her first 5 weeks with us, she gained about 12 pounds. Amazing the difference being fed and on proper medication can make. She looks like a different girl! Praise the Lord!

Why Lambano is Needed..........

This is Zintle. She came to live at Lambano about a week and a half ago. She is 6 years old and weighs half of what she should for her age. She has AIDs and TB. Now, looking at her you would think she had not had access to medical care. However, Zintle has lived in a clinic for the last two years. While it is obvious even for non-medical people looking at her that she has medical issues, she was not given medication for TB or antivirals. In fact, while she has all the symptoms of TB, she was not even tested to TB while in the clinic. Thus, she got sicker and sicker. It really makes me upset just thinking about it. There is no reason why this little girl should be as sick as she is. None!!!

Shortly after coming to us, she was tested for TB and put on the needed medication for it. She already is doing better. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and her picture clearly shows why ministries like Lambano are needed here in South Africa.

Life isn't about being comfortable

Can I be honest with you and tell you that I like America? I like having choices in the stores. I like being able to go to Starbucks. I like Macys. I like eating Mexican. I like not having to look over my shoulder all the time and I like feeling safe. I love being able to spend time with some treasured friends. I like going to my home church on Sundays. The bottom line is that life is comfortable in America and in many ways it would be easy to come back and live.

Honestly, I was a little surprised during my visit at how easy it was been to adjust back to life here. There is a sense that California is home. Now, don't get nervous. I'm not making any plans to move back and live in the states but it has caused me to do some thinking. I've thought about why I chose to move to South Africa. I didn't leave the states because I wanted to get away. I left and will stay because life isn't about being comfortable. Life is about being compelled by the love of Christ. When I think of the ulimate sacrifice that Christ made for me, ("He made Him who knew no sin to become sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Cor. 5:21) it makes me realize that the sacrifices I am being called to make really aren't that big of a deal and are small in comparision to what God has done for me. It kind of puts things in perspective.

4 Sleeps Until I Leave......

As they say in South Africa, I have 4 sleeps until I leave for the states! Yeah!!! Its been a crazy week though trying to finish everything up here and get ready to leave. I do find it humerous that the day I arrive in the states Starbucks is raising their prices by 5 cents. Those of you who know how much I have complained about missing Starbucks will understand the humor in that.

I wanted to give you a quick update on Rose. I met with her on Tuesday night and was sooo encouraged. I asked her if she could tell me how she became a Christian. I was expecting to hear some story from her childhood and how she goes to church etc. Instead, she started to share with me about how hard things were for her when her mother died and how angry at God and how sad she was. She said everyone kept telling her to pray and that God was always there for her. She didn't like it when people told her that bit gradually over a few months it seems that God softened her heart and in the process saved her. She can share the gospel in an understandable way and can explain why Christ had to die. She even used an illustration from the Fundamentals of the Faith book to demonstrate what Christ had accomplished on the cross. (A Bible Study we all thought she hadn't paid attention in.) Without me asking, she also began to share with me the difference Christ has made in her life. She loves to pray and read the Bible. She isn't harsh and angry all the time. I was sitting there amazed at what I saw. She is truly a different person with a different countenance. She is genuinely happy and joyful. Time will tell about the genuniness of her conversion but it seems like God has truly done an awesome work in her life. What an answer to prayer!

It was also very challenging to me to think about how small my faith is and how big our God is. I remember praying Lord save her and since that seems impossible- make her quit or give us a reason to fire her. We serve a truly amazing God who is able to do immeasurably more then we can ask or think. This has been such a great reminder to me of that. It was also a great reminder not to give up praying for the people we view as impossible for God to save. Its not about me and what I can accomplish. Its about God's work in people's hearts and lives. He's the one who changes people.

Leaving Home to Come Home

Its a weird feeling to have two homes but in many ways that is the way I feel. Two weeks from today I will be landing in Los Angeles!! How exciting! I will first be attending the GMI conference in San Diego. I return to Los Angeles on October 14th and will be there until October 29th. I will then spend a week in the Philadelphia area visiting family. I would love to see as many of you as possible. If you would like to schedule a time to get together, please drop me an e-mail.

Just a brief update on Rose. Lyn and I had a great meeting with her today. She has agreed to meet with me to talk about her relationship with God and what she believes. Please be in prayer for this. She is still very seeped in ancestoral worship. Thanks so much for praying!!

Some Recent Pictures.....

Such a sweet smile!

Me with some of the kids


Rosemary preparing the kids medicine. Taking medicine is such a part of our kids lives that when they play with their dolls, they pretend to give them medicine like some kids pretend to give their dolls tea to drink.


Christie, Jennifer and I. Jennifer is here for a year with her husband. She is teaching preschool at Lambano and he is helping to finish building our church plant church building.

God is able to do abundantly more.....

When some of our staff workers ask to speak to me, I know what they want to do- complain about management. Thats what I assumed last week when Rose asked to speak to me. To be honest, we have had Lambano management meetings where we have prayed for either a reason to fire Rose or for her to quit. In the past, she has seemed to stir up trouble where ever she was working.

I was thinking recently about the need to praise people for what they do well. Some people only hear what they are doing wrong and never hear anything positive. So, last week I mentioned to her in passing that I appreciated what a hard worker she is. She beamed from ear to ear.

The next day when I went to talk to Rose, I assumed that she was in trouble and wanted to win me over to her side. Was I ever wrong!!! Instead, Rose asked me what she could change to be a better worker. Currently, we are looking for people to promote to housemothers. Rose knows she would never be considered at this point for that position. She told me she really wanted to know what she needed to change about herself for this not to be the case. When she asked, she was very humble and open to what I had to say. Her spirit was entirely diiferent then what I have seen in the past. What an answer to prayer! She also mentioned to me how much what I had said meant to her. She said it had kept her up at might because she was so happy that people were saying nice things about her.

My suggestion to her was that we meet with Lyn (the Director of Lambano) to discuss what she thought Rose should change. We're doing that this coming Monday. I told her that we would then come up with a plan on how to work on some of the things she needs to change.

Ephesians 3:20-21

20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Bostwana

Two weekends ago I had the opportunity to go to Bostwana to speak at a Women's Conference. Bostwana is an African country of about 1.6 million people. It also has the highest AIDs rate in the world. I took two of the young adults (Kerry and Christie) from church with me. It was a very encouraging and refreshing weekend.

Friday night the pastor's wife hosted a dinner for about 8 women were we discussed why biblical counseling and the priority of discipleship in women's ministry. Two topics I am a little passionate about :). Saturday I spoke on God's Solutions to Life's Problems. The women were very eager to learn and teachable. It was a great day.

The church, Open Baptist Church, is a church of about 700 people and has about 37 nations represented in the congregation. It was very different to be in an African country that is not as racially divided as South Africa and were crime is not as huge of an issue. Gaborone neighborhoods are mixed with there be low income housing, middle class and upper class housing all in the same neighborhood. You would never find that here.

It was encouraging too to see the ways that the church is trying to minister to the community. They have developed a program where they disciple and train college students who then go into the local high schools and teach AIDs prevention and specifically abstinence. They have now been invited by the Department of Education to teach it in all of the high schools. What a great opportunity.

Kerry and I with Mary (one of the most joyful people I have ever met)

Kerry, Christie and I

Christie and I at a recent rugby game

 

A trip to the clinic

Yesterday was a very sobering day. One of our staff workers asked me to take her to the local clinic to get tested to see if she was HIV positive. The stigma of AIDs is so great here that many who need to get tested are scared to and don't. So, this was a very brave and scary thing for her to do.

Its kind of weird to sit there and in some ways be waiting for someone to receive a death sentence. We're pretty sure that she has it but the test came back inconclusive. They did bloodwork and the tests won't be back until the end of next week. That's a long time to wait to know if your life is about to be changed forever.

The Week in Review

It's been a pretty heavy week here. I told Anita this week that God must really want to sanctify our church. Starting with Dick being shot on Sunday, the week seemed to be full of a lot of heavy issues that needed to be dealt with. A woman in our church had her husband die rather unexpectedly on Tuesday night. An other woman had surgery for breast cancer later in the week. Someone pretending to be a interested vistor wanting a tour stole cell phones from one of our staff workers this week during that tour. Another worker was staying with someone when a robber broke in. In trying to get away, she fell and broke her arm.

Then this week I also found out that one of the women I have been meeting with has been basically lying about her whole life- not just to me but to everyone. I'm thankful that God has choosen to reveal her lies this week but it has been sobering and honestly, really sad. I have spent hours counseling/ discipling her. Please pray that God would bring her to repentance and for wisdom in dealing with the situation.


I took some time this week to go visit two of our Lambano staff workers at their homes. Both of them participated in the 1976 Soweto uprising. This was when black school children marched against apartheid. If I remember right, 16,000 marched. Hundreds of children were shot and killed by the police. Thousands were arrested and many others simply disappeared during that day. Emma and Catherine both marched that day and it was amzing to hear their stories and gain a better picture of their life.

On a lighter note, the Lambano kids were in a ballet receital recently. They were fish and danced to the song "Under the Sea" Honestly, there is few things more entertaining then seeing 4 and 5 year olds try to dance.


Below is a group of the young adults from church. As someone reminded me today, I am no longer fit the young adult catagory but rather am now middle age. Yikes...... but they graciously allow me to hang out with them.

 

Is it worth dying for?

Sunday started off a normal, calm, quiet Sunday but ended up quite different. I received a call after church that Anita's father had been shot. Here is their summary of what happened:

Last night after church, Anita’s father was shot. Dick Kelder, besides being my father-in-law, is an elder in our church. He and Mom K. live only a few blocks away from us and are very involved in our lives and the lives of our children.

After our evening service last night (August 13, 2006), most of our congregation stayed and had tea for about a half an hour, as usual. Mom K. (Marlene) had stayed home because she wasn’t feeling well and so Dick left at about 7:15 to go home – just minutes before we also left to put our kids in bed. On our way home, we gave Mom K. a call, she picked up the phone and said, “come over here quickly, your father’s just been shot.” Before we even reached our house, we turned around and went straight to the Kelder home.

When we arrived, amazingly, the police were already there and a number of neighbors were all standing in the street. We jumped out and were told that Dick had been shot in the face, hand and leg (we later found out that he was only beaten in the face and there were only gunshot wounds to his hand and leg). He was lying in the car and losing a lot of blood.

Up to that point, what had happened was that a mechanic friend of the Kelders stopped by to return one of their cars and pick up his vehicle. When Mrs. Kelder let him in the gate, two armed men held them up and tried to take the Kelder’s car. Mom K. ended up with a dislocated finger and some bumps on the head. Ian (the mechanic friend) was shot at, but they missed. Dick started to pull into the driveway while all this was going on. The two men, who had failed to start the car in the driveway, then ran to Dick and told him to get out of the car. When he refused, they evidently hit him in his face with the butt of the gun and then shot him (I later asked Dick why in the world didn’t he just get out of the car and give them the keys. He told me that though he knows he should have, that was just a natural reaction and he has no idea how he could have prepared for the incident).

Though the police had arrived and we were told that an ambulance was on its way, it was too much for us to wait while Dick was losing so much blood. We decided to pull the kids and car seats out of our car and leave them with Anita and Marlene. We then lifted Dick out of his car and put him in the back seat of ours and two police officers escorted us to the hospital. Once we got Dick into the Emergency Room, it was clear that there was no gunshot wound to the head and he was only bleeding from his face because of the bashing he took. The doctor and nurses were able to get to work right away on Dick’s wounds, so I headed back to the house to be with Anita, Marlene, and the kids. It took quite a while to sort out the police reports and phone calls. We also found most of the keys in a nearby storm drain. The robbers had obviously fled on foot and threw them down there as they ran by.

After we locked up the house, we headed down to the hospital where we were met by about a dozen of our friends from church. What a great blessing and encouragement to have our church family standing with us, praying for us, and other flooding us with phone calls and text messages. We can’t say enough times how grateful we are for the church family here in Johannesburg.

We were able to spend some time with Dick and see that he is doing fine. The x-rays revealed that the bullet had exited his leg and it had missed all major arteries and bones. He slept there last night and is due to have surgery on his hand today. His face is very black and blue (with one eye nearly swollen shut) – but he should heal up nicely.

On the way home, we stopped by the Kelder’s to meet a tow truck and we had to have Dick’s car (which was still in the street) towed into the drive way. That went pretty quickly and then Mom K. came home with us. We all got to bed at about 1:00 AM.

Please pray for Dick and his surgery today. Also pray for Marlene and Anita, myself and the kids. Anita is pretty shaken up as she has still been struggling with our hold-up four months ago. It has been difficult for us to sleep well at night – especially for Anita. We are very grateful that God has kept us all safe, and we are even grateful for these trials – which clearly draw us closer to Christ and help us to rely more on Him for true security. But please pray for us, our family, and our church.

Pray especially for wisdom. When trials come up like this, we inevitably face the question – should we move out of South Africa? On the one hand, we (unlike so many here) do have the option of moving elsewhere. Just about any place besides Baghdad or Beirut seems like it would be safer. On the other hand, God is sovereign everywhere and we know that the safest place we can be is following Him closely. It would be very difficult for us to leave the congregation and ministry that He has given us here – but if we stay here, we need to have the mindset that what we are doing here is worth dying for. It is not easy to keep that mindset when so many people around us are being affected on a daily basis from the high crime rate and lack of law enforcement.

In Christ,

Brian, Anita, Ami, and Bradley Biedebach

I have personally been challenged and encouraged by Dick's response to this. When I saw him on Sunday at the hospital, he told me that he had total peace the whole time because he knew God was in control of all of this. When he could have been self focused, he instead was asking others as they entered the room about specific situations in their lives and using his time in the hospital to share Christ with those he came in contact with.

I am often asked why I would choose to come to South Africa when so many are anxious to leave. I have to be honest and tell you that there are times when I am tired of thinking of security and safety but the answer is simple. Its because I believe that what I am doing is worth dying for.

Prayer Requests

Just wanted to pass on a few prayer requests.

1. Please be praying for a Women's Tea I am speaking at on Wednesday, August 9th at a church in Pretoria (my parent's church). Its an evangelistic event and last I heard there will be about 100 women and about 50 of them will be unsaved. The topic is "What Every Woman Needs". Specifically, I will be speaking on our greatest need is to be adopted by God.
2. Last Sunday one of our Lambano vans was stolen from the driveway of one of our houses. We are only receiving from the insurance company a fraction of what it will cost to replace it. Please pray that God would provide the funds necessary.
3. I am traveling to Bostwana the end of August to speak at a women's conference. Please pray for safety as I travel and for wisdom as I prepare and as I speak to the women there. Pray that I would be a workman who needs not to be ashamed accurately handling the Word of God. (2 Tim 2:15)
4. Thanks for your prayers for Gladys. Please continue to pray for her as she comes back to work tomorrow and continues to deal with the loss of her husband.
5. My bible studies at Lambano have been focusing on the tongue. Please pray that the staff would apply what we are discussing. There is a lot of strife between some of the staff which is being feed by gossip and lying. Most acknowledge the problem but few seem willing to change.

Thanks so much for partnering with me in the work here. Your prayers are vital to the ministry here.

There's something wrong with this picture.....

Normally in August I spend a lot of time scheming to get as many days as possible spent sitting on the beach. Not this August...... I am currently sitting in my living room so cold that I can see my breath. (For some reason, South Africa doesn't put central heat in their houses.) It's the strangest thing to me to have the seasons reversed.

Yesterday.......

So yesterday was one of those days that didn't exactly go according to plan. It was an incredibly cold day yesterday. In fact, we even had snowflakes in the morning. It also started off with some somewhat dissappointing news. In the afternoon, I needed to run next door and grabbed my set of keys to the front door. Now, I never come in that door and consequently have never needed to use a key to unlock it. I don't even normally carry the keys to my front door with me. I wondered as I pulled the front door shut if I should even bother to lock it but this is South Africa. So I did and figured it didn't matter because I had my keys with me anyway.

When I got home and went to unlock my front door, I came to the realization that my front door key does not work in the lock and none of the keys on that key ring work in that door or any other door. The great thing is that I have learned that my house is very hard to break into. It would take a lot of effort to get in one of the windows and past the burgular bars. 950 rand (about $150) later I was in. The other great thing is that I now have a key that works to my front door and finally have an extra set of keys in my desk at the church office (Something Brian encouraged me to do about two months ago. Why is he always right about these things???)

To end my evening, I discovered that my electricty was not fixed last week. With in a matter of 2 hours (of course 2 that I was trying to sleep through), it tripped 4 or 5 times. Midnight found me reminding myself of something my mother has often told me- God hasn't made a mistake yet and you aren't worth being his first one. Thanks Mom!

Romans 5:3-5

3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Home Improvements

Finally after two months of waiting, the electrician and the plumber showed up this week to begin work on my house. Consequently, my house was a disaster this week which is not something I really enjoy. What I am excited to see is the end result! By the end of the day, I should have electricity that works (meaning that I can have more then one electrical thing running at a time), a shower installed, hook-ups for my dishwasher and hot water for my washer.

I was thinking last night as I went to bed what a great picture these home improvements are of our spiritual life. Sometimes when God is doing major construction so to speak in our hearts, we don't enjoy or like the process but the end result is always worth it! The psalmist says in Psalm 119: 67 "Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keep your Word."

What I miss......

My brother Josh and I

Someone recently asked me what I missed most about the states. It's a common question and I have a standard answer I normally give- people and Starbucks. I've been thinking a little about that question since I was asked it. Missing friends is a pretty common thing when you move. It seems like several times through out the week I think, "I wish so and so was here to talk to about this or share this with."

I think that the hardest thing about being away from people you care about is not being there to help when you know that they are struggling or going through some tough times. For example, my mom is having surgery on her hand in a couple of weeks. I would love to get on a plane and fly home to help her as she recovers. If I still lived in the states that would be possible but it simply isn't an option from this far away.

One thing it has taught me though is what it means to be the family of God. It has been an incredible encouragement to me to see the body of Christ act like family both to me and others I care for. A couple of weeks back I was sharing with a friend how overwhelmed I was picking tile and shower fixtures by myself. His response to me was to ask me why I was doing it by myself when he would have been glad to come and help if I had just called and ask. What a good reminder that was to me of how many times I/we feel alone merely because our pride prevents us from asking for help.

Is there anything besides people that I miss? Well, the other night at about 1am I was reminded of the answer. I awoke to the sound of my house alarm going off. It seems that someone was in my yard and set off the perimeter beams. I miss not feeling safe. Crime is an everyday reality here. Just yesterday I got a call from a girl I have been discipling informing me that she had been a victim of an attempted highjacking.

I live in a house with a tall wall all the way around my yard and gate. There are burglar bars on my windows and security doors on the doors. Sometime in the not to distant future I will probably install electric fencing. I have perimeter beams that go off if someone enters my yard. The idea is to catch someone before they get into the house. My security company is alerted that they need to send an armed response to my house.

When I drive, I think about how long the car behind me has been following me. I don't open the gate and pull into my driveway unless no one is on the street. At stop lights, I am very aware of who is around me how close they are getting. My purse is on the trunk or at my feet to help prevent a smash and grab scenario.

All that to say there are times I miss not having to think about safety. It has been good for me though. I am reminded on a continual basis that God is my defender and my protector. I am constantly thankful for how God has protected me and how He has kept me safe. I am also reminded on a regular basis that He is sovereign and in control. That nothing is going to happen to me that God has not allowed. All these things were true in the states but here that take on new meaning.

Prayer Request

I mentioned in an earlier post that death is a reality here. I was reminded of that last night. We have a housemother, Gladys, whose husband died last night. It in some ways was a senseless death. He was sick and because he feared the diagnosis wouldn't go to the doctor's or the hospital.

I recently heard that 60% of the people living in the townships (the poorest areas) have AIDs. The problem is AIDs has an incredible stigma here which often prevents people from seeking medical help. It is seen as a curse from your ancestors and if it is discovered that you have it, you become an outcast. A common belief is that the cure for AIDs is to have sex with a virgin- which in turn perpetuates the problem.

Please be praying for Gladys and her daughter Prayer (who is 1). Gladys is a believer but I know this is an incredibly difficult time for her. Her husband was a pastor and they lived in the church parsonage. So, an additional issue for her will be finding new housing. Thanks for your prayers!

More Pictures from Camp

Pictures From Church Camp

Thought you might enjoy seeing some pictures from camp.

Grace Christian Church Group Photo

The kids had a lot of fun in the afternoon sliding down the hill on cardboard.

Of course, the biggest kid of them all, Brian, couldn't help but join in :) .

49 years and still going strong!

Today marks my parents 49th wedding anniversary. Pretty amazing to think that they have been married that long and still like and love each other! What a blessing it is to have such a godly example of what marriage should look like.

Death is a reality here

We had our fourth funeral today in about 6 weeks. Given came to us in November. She had a condition that caused water to accumualate on her stomach and not drain properly. We waited for about 3 months for her to have a shunt put in that would allow easy drainage. The doctor didn't do the surgery properly and the end result was a quicker death. She was a sweet cheerful girl who always seemed to have a smile.

I was struck at the cemetary today by the number of fresh graves. They give you an idea of the bigger picture. Three weeks ago the little child we buried was marked as child 61. Today Given was marked as child 231. There were 8 small graves that had been dugged for funerals today. Death is a reality here. Suffering seems to be a way of life. Sobering to think of.

The Row of Graves
The reality is that for all of us life is short. Are we making the most of our time because the days are evil? (Eph. 5:15-16)

Little Rock Team

The team from The Bible Church of Little Rock left last night. I think the best description for the team is consistent servant spirits. They were a true examples of people who look for needs and ways to meet them. While they were here, they hosted two Holiday Bible Clubs. The Bible Club at the church had about 30 children show up to it everyday and the one that was held at Mercy Bible Church, our church plant in the settlement, had about 130 children each day. Praise the Lord for the excellent turnout and continue to pray that God would use His Word in the children's lives.





In addition, the team helped to run our church camp this past weekend. We had over a 100 people from our church go to camp- which was a pretty exciting turnout given we have about a 150 people in our church. Tim Senn spoke on "Pursuing Holiness". His teaching was practical and convicting. It was especially encouraging to see people really spend time together sharing and getting to know one another.

Its been really good to have my brother here this last week. We've had a great time together- lots of good conversations and lots of laughs. He is finding how many South Africanisms I have begun to use humorous. I no longer call people. I phone them. Stop lights are now robots. I put stuff in the boot of the car and not the trunk. And I now say 'shame' and not 'that's to bad'. Who knows in a few years I might even have an accent :).

Recent Pictures

Grace Christian Church Women's Fellowship Lunch

June 2006

Here are the Lambano kids with the team from Grace Community.

Here are a few of the Lambano staff at a recent wedding.

Praise Items and Prayer Requests

This blog is my attempt to help keep you better informed of what God is doing here in South Africa. No promises about how frequently I will post but I do hope to keep you better updated with prayer requests and praises.

Its been a great week. I was able to spend the first part of the week with a mission's team from Grace Community in Los Angeles as a game park. I've been to a game park several times and I am always amazed by the awesomeness of our God and the truth of Psalm 19. This time was by far the most exciting though. We managed to come up on an unsuspecting elephant who in turn got very angry and began to come for us. There was a moment or two when I wondered if our car was going to be squashed or overthrown. It was a pretty scary couple of minutes.

We have a team that arrived yesterday from The Bible Church of Little Rock. They will be holding a Bible Club next week at our church and at the church plant in the settlement. We're excited for the opportunity to reach out to our neighborhood. Please pray that kids would come from the neighborhood and the settlement and that they would respond to the truths of the gospel that will be presented. Additionaly, the team will be running the children's program at our church camp next weekend.

Thanks to so many of you who prayed for the conferences we had a couple of weeks ago for the Lambano staff. The days was an answer to prayer. The women seemed to be really receptive to the teaching and many of them commented that they wished they had heard this 5 years ago before they had gotten into financial trouble. Many of them are feeling overwhelmed and wondering what the point is of trying to apply what they heard now that it is to late. Please continue to pray for them and for me as I help them practically work through the application of what they heard.

You could also be praying for a single mom (Jeanine) and her two daughters (Crystal and Cherri) in our church whose house was broken into last week and they were help hostage for several hours. While we praise the Lord that they weren't hurt, please pray that God would give them peace and encouragement as they work through the fear that often follows an experience like this. Please pray too for Cherri's salvation and that God would use this experience to draw her to Himself.

Please be praying for my brother, Josh and his family. He arrives next week and I am very excited to be able to see him and spend time with him. He and his family hope to move to South Africa next July and start an orphanage in the Pretoria area. Pray that his time here would be profitable as he works on his dissertation for his doctorate and meets with people about the orphange. Pray also for his wife and daughters who will be home in the states while he is here.

Thanks so much for praying!